Outpouring Follows Teen's Death

Community members have established a memorial fund for Dylan Piefer, the 14-year-old Mills student who died on Dec. 3 from self-inflicted asphyxiation.

Roxanne Susoeff, whose husband grew up with Dylan’s father Phil, started the Dylan Piefer Memorial Fund, and anyone who wishes to contribute can do so at any Bank of America branch, Mills High School or the Prudential Realty in San Bruno. 

“One family donated a Christmas tree,” said Susoeff, a realtor at Prudential. “We’ve already had a lot of people come out and support the family.”

She hopes donations will not dwindle and asks the community to prolong their generosity well into the holidays. The Piefer family includes two other children, a 9-year-old and a 16-year-old. 

The Piefer’s were not available for comment, but on The Thunderbolt, the Mills High School newspaper’s website, they said, “Thank you for all the warm thoughts. We are so very sad and miss Dylan so much, I am so grateful he touched so many people’s hearts. Thank you.”

Many Mills students learned of Dylan’s death on Dec. 5 when Principal Paul Belzer wrote a memo for teachers to read during class.

“I felt it was better than announcing it over the loudspeaker,” Belzer said. “When it’s something of this magnitude, students need to hear it directly from their teachers.”

Mills organized group and one-on-one counseling services for grieving students, and allowed them breaks during class hours to confide in therapists. Some students created a banner with their thoughts and condolences for the Piefer family. 

Dylan was found near Bayfront Park on the evening of Dec. 3. Some speculate that Dylan was playing a “choking game”, according to San Francisco ABC affiliate KGO.

The game consists of people either choking their friends or themselves to briefly restrict oxygen from reaching the brain, thereby causing a drug-like euphoric state often followed by seizures.

KGO reported that “San Mateo County sheriff's investigators are working the case as a suicide, but the coroner told the family it appeared to be something else,” insinuating that Dylan died playing the “choking game.” 

However, rumors of a “choking game” death are not substantiated by San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault. In fact, he never even talked to the Piefer family or KGO. 

“There is absolutely no indication that this was a choking game death, unless [a witness] comes forward and tells us that it is otherwise,” Foucrault said.

Regardless of the rumors surrounding Dylan’s death, the practice is quite prevalent among teens. 

In a 2010 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed surveys from more than 10,000 eighth-graders in Oregon. The findings showed that 36.2 percent of kids had heard of the game, and about a third knew of someone who had participated.

Conversely, about 93 percent of parents of choking game victims were unaware of the game until their child’s death, according to the CDC.

Several nonprofit groups are working to educate teens and parents on the dangers of the choking game. For example, DARE, typically known for its drug education program, has included the “choking game” into its curriculum as of a couple of years ago.

“We teach any high-risk behavior, such as gang violence, internet safety and bullying,” said DARE spokesman Ralph Lochridge.

People who wish to give money to the Dylan Piefer Memorial Fund must do so before Jan. 6, 2012, as it is a special emergency account with certain tax exemptions, according to Millbrae Bank of America spokeswoman Andrea Ho. Those who would like to donate gifts or food, can contact Roxanne Susoeff at rsusoeff@prucal.com or 650-291-1964.